Creating and Managing your 401(k)/IRA Account – The Essentials

Creating Your Retirement Nest Egg

Creating a small nest egg for yourself to last you in your retirement years may well be the new American dream. Not only do you have to make sure that you save enough, but you also need to manage your retirement accounts to ensure your investments remain in the green and do not actually lose value – ie you need it to grow at least at the rate of inflation to retain the same buying power each year. Two of the most prevalent retirement plans in the nation include the 401(k) and the IRA or Individual Retirement Arrangement retirement plans. If you want to invest in precious metals or in gold coins for 401k/IRA, you have to be aware of a few things:

The 401(k) Retirement Plan

The 401(k) retirement plan is normally provided by large conglomerates to their employees. A specific amount is deducted from each worker’s paycheck and deposited into the company’s account, which can be accessed as soon as he/she retires. You have three main types to choose from namely:

The Safe Harbor

This allows employees to contribute the greatest amount allowed in the 401(k) provided that the employer agrees to match that amount.

The Traditional 401(k)

This ‘traditional’401(k) retirement planallows employers more options when it comes to employee accounts. In other words, they can choose not to match employee contributions and can even alter the sum the latter deposits if they want to.

Advanced Profit Sharing

These are popular with legal organizations and partnerships since they allow companies to target prominent groups within their structure and reward those employees by giving them different profit shares. In other words, each employee receives a particular payout structure as part of their individual 401(k) plan.
In order to maximize profit, pick plan options that fit your own requirements and upload employee information as well. This includes incorporating loans, automatic worker enrolment, their applicability along with details regarding matching contributions.

IRA Retirement Savings Account

An IRA or Individual Retirement Arrangement retirement savings account is typically offered by companies that have less than 100 employees. The term refers to the set up of an individual retirement account that provides its owner and his/her beneficiaries’ tax benefits that can help them save more and pay less annually. An IRA account can be opened via three means namely:

A Bank

This is best for those who are not sure where they should place their money and for those who don’t have a substantial amount of funds to invest.

Mutual Funds

Mutual funds are best for novice IRA investors since they are the simplest options available. You can let professionals pick the best stocks for you and participate in as many investments. You may be required to deposit an initial investment of $1,000 or more to start this account. Use expense ratios to evaluate current management costs for each fund in your possession.

Brokerage Firms

If you are an experienced investor, you can open your IRA at a brokerage company where you can customize your securities or have your pick from thousands of mutual funds. You may be charged a fee for each fund you set up which includes an all charge cost for a low IRA balance along with costs for administering your IRA. You can also include gold, gold coins and other precious metals such as silver in the form of silver ingots, silver bars, silver coins) as part of your investment portfolio.